


Of cats, cushions and a moment of convalescence

by OddmentsandTweaks



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Introspection, Jon gets a goddamn break, Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-02-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 07:06:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22929940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OddmentsandTweaks/pseuds/OddmentsandTweaks
Summary: After the events of Ep 94 Jon is exhausted and Georgie is there with a comfy sofa and a concerned cat.
Relationships: Georgie Barker & Jonathan Sims
Comments: 16
Kudos: 144





	Of cats, cushions and a moment of convalescence

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place immediately post Ep94 of the Magnus Archive, minor spoilers for that and ep 89. It mainly picks up on the note that Jon is exhausted at the end of the episode and Georgie looks after him. 
> 
> I really wanted them both to have a nice, quiet moment in the calm before the storm of the rest of series 3. I really liked their dynamic in this series, especially early on. They still care for each other even if Jon is a disaster man made of questionable decisions and I love Georgie's practical responses in this part of her character arc. I also have a physical need to create opportunities for Jon the Archivist to have some goddamn nightmare-free sleep. And the Admiral is the best cat and deserves more time to shine!
> 
> This is my first fic in this fandom so any comments are gratefully received!

"You really need to sleep."

"I don't, I-"

"Really? You're really going to argue? Your bags have bags."

She watched him start to literally droop, "well, the statements take a lot, a lot out of me."

"Obviously."

"I'll maybe go," he started to wobble as he tried to get up from the sofa, "go to bed."

Georgie sighed. He was utterly hopeless. Without a word she grabbed one of her squashy throw cushions and placed it on her lap, reaching for his shoulder with her other hand. Gently but firmly she began to pull him down towards her.

"Whaa? What are you doing?"

"You need to sleep and I don't think you'll make it to your bed, even with help."

"No, I can, I'll," he swayed dangerously again.

"Jon, you're about six seconds away from passing out, I know you're allergic to self-preservation but please, just this once do what your body tells you and sleep."

"But I can't, you, I, you're busy and—"

Georgie cut over his protestations, "I have nothing else on today, a fully charged phone, a tv in sight, casting ability and Netflix so I am good, I can give you a few hours, take them."

"It's--" he yawned so impressively she honestly thought his jaw would crack, "not fair, f'you an'..." he began to slur, forgetting to fight her implacable draw on his shoulder.

His body seemed to take over, on autopilot as he leaned down, instinctively curling up on his side, "only a f...few minutes then."

She managed to keep the smirk from her words, "Whatever you say."

It would almost be endearing the way he tried to fight it, fight her, fight help in general But she really was worried, he'd been through hell and if he wanted to be stubborn toddler at bedtime then fine. But that just meant she'd do what you did with toddlers-not let them get their way. Jon made a noise that was part huff and part deep sigh of relief.

Georgie decided not to comment, it seemed like she'd won this round. She'd just started to relax when Jon, on the very edge of sleep caught between dreaming and waking began to twitch, the distress mounting in his voice as he murmured, “no, not safe, too nice, too good, can't be, trick, it's a trick!"

Georgie felt her heart clench at the sounds he was making, no one should sound that scared at the prospect of just sleeping. The fact that he was frightened, expecting something terrible to happen while he let his defences down or that this was in fact a trap spoke volumes. Then again, given the state of his hand and how that had occurred it wasn’t entirely surprising he was expecting a trap. There was way too much to unpack right now, he needed to get a new job, that for damn sure. Maybe grenade juggling or primary school teaching. Something with marginally less stress and less room for existential terror.

She’d make these suggestions to him after he’d had some solid sleep. Right now she just had to get him there. Drawing on what she remembered from their previous time together her hands seemed to know exactly what to do. One began to stroke the top of his arm the, the other finding its way into his hair, beginning to stoke through the longer strands gently.

He began to calm almost instantly, his panicky mutterings dropping to soft whimpering.

At least that had stayed the same, it was effectively his ‘off’ switch when he could relax enough. Just a bit more encouragement should tip him properly into actual sleep.

"Shh, it's fine, we're safe Jon, right now, you're safe, you're on my sofa with me,"

At that moment the Admiral chose his moment to assist the situation, launching himself at Jon landing neatly against his quaking chest, purring loudly, curling up in a definitive way to soothe the distressed human. His human, even if it was from a long time ago. Jon's arms wrapped around the contented cat instinctively, moving to snuffle closer to the Admiral tension slowly draining out of him as his breathing began even out, his mutterings and twitching fading as sleep began to envelope him.

"You've even got the Admiral on side so just relax, we've got you. Go to sleep." She continued to card her fingers through his hair and he made his own purring noise, deep in the back of his throat. He buried his face deeper into the cushion as he tightened his grip on the cat before finally letting out a breath that had probably been held for the past six months.

Georgie felt him relax, melting into the sofa, for once in the grip of natural, healing sleep.

A pleased, satisfied smile spread across her as she waited a few more minutes to be sure then reached for the blanket at the back of her sofa draping it carefully over her now sleeping friend. It was a small victory but a victory none the less and now he was actually asleep, not winding himself up over statement after statement, getting more worn and desperate with each one she could process some of what had been happening over the last few days.

She and Jon were of an age but to look at him, it was like he had gained a decade in the past two years, the hair she was still stroking through was streaked with silver and the now thankfully closed eyes had a haunted look to them. Whatever was happening or had happened at his work was draining everything out of him, she honestly didn't know what would get him first, the stress or his own foolhardiness. Probably both. The exhaustion in him wasn't so much as visible as omnipresent, it inhabited every part of him, making her feel tired just looking at him sometimes.

She had absolutely no idea what was coming but even though she couldn't feel fear, Georgie resolved to be resolutely practical regardless of what was thrown their way. It had felt odd sharing that part of her past with Jon, but it was probably for the best. It was nice to be believed she supposed but she’d known what had truly happened, even if she didn’t know what had ultimately happened to Alex.

Alex, she hadn’t thought of her for a while, it made her sad to think of her friend who got swallowed up like so many of the people in Jon’s statements. She hoped that for every Alex there was someone who got away. It wasn’t much but it made her feel a little better.

As she sat, listening to the purr of her cat and the deep, even breathing of Jon she let herself settle to enjoy this one, current, positive. She knew whilst there was probably little she was going to be able to force Jon to let her help with this was something good that could be achieved.

She let her thoughts wander for a while on that contented note, fingers absently still grazing gently over his scalp. He mumbled something in his sleep that could have honestly been anything, so long as it wasn’t him about to start falling into a nightmare she didn’t care to try and decipher it.

But it did make her look down at him again. It took all she had not to physically startle. He’d been asleep for maybe an hour at this point and was truly, deeply relaxed for probably first time in forever.

He looked so young.

All of a sudden and all at once he looked like at least twelve years had melted off him.

Georgie felt honestly knocked sideways. She’d forgotten how young the both of them still were, life and work seemed to take it out of every day consideration, lost amongst responsibilities and adulting to a proficient level to convince everyone in the surrounding area. Sometimes she felt 112 and still looked like was in her late 20s but this was new, Jon looking as worn and aged as he had now seemingly lost even more years, as she looked at his sleeping face she startled over how young he suddenly looked, all the worry and fear had melted off him leaving him looking barely past uni, lonely and vulnerable.

Her chest seized with a pang of concern, this was the man that was trying to, what? Save the world? Stop the monsters that she knew with uncomfortable surety existed from doing something even more monstery? She had no real idea only that this absolute dumpster fire of a human being with all the tact and forward planning of a badly wielded sledgehammer was clearly trying to do something against them. And he was all alone. All alone right now against the monsters save for her and the Admiral.

Well. She was going to help. For as long as she could. He’d most likely try to stop her, cut her out and deal with it on his own but she’d try at least. They hadn’t been dating for a long time but she still cared about him as a friend. Even if he was a stubborn, arrogant idiot. She didn’t want to see him die, or worse, be torn up and ripped apart by the very real things that lurked in the shadows and beyond. She didn’t want the world to end either even if it did mean she wouldn’t have to worry about rent.

Well, it would be a conversation for later. Right now, if this was what she could offer, what she could do then she was doing it willingly. Even if he infuriated her.

She wasn’t entirely sure when she’d shifted into the mindset of ‘put up on sister’ when regarding Jon but it was there and she’d use it to her advantage if she could. Even if it just made him stop and bloody well think first. She could hope.

Right now, she accepted the situation as it was, deciding to savour the peace and find something to quietly enjoy on tv, absorbing the soft, rhythmic breathing of man and cat .

Georgie Barker, saving the world, one Archivist at a time.


End file.
